The American Nurses Association says that medication errors cause more than 7,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. These types of medical errors often increase the duration of a hospital stay and the amount of patient expenses, with the average error costing anywhere from $2,000 to nearly $9,000.

If your medical situation was worsened by hospital staff whose mistakes led to a negative reaction to a medication, or if a loved one lost their life due to a medication overdose, underdose, misidentification, or failure to administer, a medical malpractice attorney can help you determine your options for pursuing compensation.

Some of the most frequent medicine-related errors in healthcare facilities include:

You trust an attorney to handle legal matters that have a significant impact on your life. In a personal injury lawsuit, this may include seeking compensation to cover medical expenses, lost wages, and physical and emotional pain and suffering from an accident that was not your fault.

Legal malpractice occurs when a lawyer’s inappropriate or negligent actions damage a client’s case and negatively impact the outcome. If you believe this happened to you, a professional malpractice lawyer can pursue a lawsuit against your former legal representation.

Types of Legal Malpractice

Studies from the American Bar Association Committee on Lawyers’ Professional Liability found that the most frequent errors related to legal malpractice cases are:

Earlier this month, a jury in Cook County returned a verdict in favor of a family whose child suffered severe injuries during his birth in 2009. The jury awarded the family more than $50 million in damages—reportedly the third-largest medical malpractice verdict on record in the state.

The lawsuit was filed in 2014 against NorthShore University Health System, Evanston Hospital, and several doctors and nurses. The health system is expected to appeal the verdict.

A Tragic Series of Events

In March 2009, a 35-year-old woman went to Evanston Hospital, part of the NorthShore University Health System, to deliver her first child. She was in labor for 12 hours, but at the end of it, she gave birth to a son. The child, however, was born with blue coloration and a dangerously low heart rate. He was also unable to breathe on his own. For the first hour after his birth, the hospital staff worked to push oxygen to the boy’s brain and organs. Ultimately, the infant was determined to have suffered a permanent, severe brain injury called hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) caused by the lack of oxygen reaching his organs. As the boy started to grow, evidence of cerebral palsy began to show. His vocabulary was limited, he struggled to walk, and he suffered from bilateral hearing loss.

Although most children who suffer from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) make a full recovery, those with moderate to severe cases may experience long-term effects. This information, outlined in a recent study, is one that parents should be aware of when pursuing a personal injury case. Learn more about the lasting consequences of a head injury, and what you can do if one happens to your child during an auto accident, bicycle accident, or pedestrian accident.

Lasting Effects of Moderate TBI

The study in question examined the long-term effects of traumatic brain injury in a total of 729 children. To determine each child’s pre-injury status, researchers conducted phone interviews with parents. Children were then assessed at three months, one year, and two years after their injury to determine if the child had any issues with:

Depression;

Interacting with other children;

Memory;

Concentration;

Holding a conversation; and

Daily living activities (brushing their teeth, using the toilet, etc.).

Results of the TBI group were then compared to the results of 197 children who had suffered arm injuries over the same time period.

Fall has arrived in the American Midwest, bringing with it the end of summer. Leaves are turning red, orange, and yellow, and animals are starting to prepare their winter retreats. Of course, autumn also means seasonal changes in the weather, including increased rain and cooler temperatures. The cooling pattern, however, is often inconsistent and rapid changes in temperature and humidity levels can lead to the development of fog around area roadways. Fog, of course, can drastically reduce driver visibility and contributes to hundreds—if not thousands—of traffic accidents each year.

Safe Driving Tips

There is little question that heavy fog requires adjustments in driving. Motorists must always operate their vehicles in ways that are appropriate for the weather conditions at that time. How you drive on a clear sunny day is different from how you should drive during rain, snow, or fog. To remain safe when driving in fog, be sure to:

Slow down;

Use fog lamps if your car has them but never your high beams. High beams actually make visibility worse in foggy conditions;

Try to find marked reference points like painted road lines;

Never stop on the roadway and only stop on the shoulder if absolutely necessary. Other drivers may not see your stopped vehicle until it is too late; and

Use four-ways or hazard flashers to increase visibility.

Recovering Damages Through a Personal Injury Claim

Unfortunately, not all drivers will take the necessary precautions and accidents do happen. If another driver fails to operate his or her vehicle safely and causes an accident in which you are injured, he or she may be liable for your injuries. It can sometimes be difficult to prove fault for an accident when weather is a factor, but if the other driver acted recklessly or negligently, you may still have a case for collecting compensation.

If you have ever experienced a concussion, you realize how frightening they can be. A concussion, by definition, is the least serious type of traumatic brain injury. While former athletes may jocularly remember the time they “got their bell rung,” the danger was probably more real than they can recall. A concussion occurs when the brain is jolted within the skull, often from a direct blow or impact, and the effects can be severe and long-lasting.

More Than Just Knocked Out

Many people, particularly youth sport coaches and parents, assume that a concussion is always accompanied by at least a momentary lapse of consciousness. While a concussion victim can certainly be knocked out by the blow or impact, the injury itself is often much more difficult to identify. In some cases, the onset of symptoms does not occur for hours or days following the impact. Whether occurring within the context of a sporting event, a car accident, or a trip and fall, the signs of a traumatic brain injury often include:

Confusion and feeling dazed;

Uncharacteristic clumsiness;

Slurred speech or difficulty speaking;

Nausea and vomiting;

Headache;

Balance issues or dizziness;

Enhanced sensitivity to light or noise;

Sluggishness or marked drowsiness;

Ringing in the ears;

Unusual behavior or personality; and

Concentration and memory difficulties.

The loss of consciousness so often considered a “typical” symptom of a concussion is actually a qualifying symptom of a grade 3 concussion, the most serious type.

Uninsured motorist accidents are extremely common in Illinois, which places many drivers at risk for injury. Unfortunately, if and when an accident does happen, many do not really know how – or even if – they may receive compensation. Rest assured that even in an uninsured driver accident, you can (and should) seek compensation for your losses. Our attorneys can help you know how and where to start.

Your Rights and the Uninsured Driver

Most people will tell you not to even bother suing the uninsured motorist because, if they do not have insurance, then it is unlikely they have the money or assets to cover your losses. However, this is not always accurate advice. An experienced automobile accident attorney is the only one who can truly advise you on whether or not suing an uninsured motorist will be worth your time.

Regardless, always ensure that you gather as much information about the other driver as possible. The most critical information to gather is their name, phone number, address, license plate number. Of course, a large number of uninsured driver accidents are hit-and-runs. If this applies to your situation, try to at least get information on the model, make, and color of their car and a license plate number. Anything you can remember may be helpful in pursuing your case.

Estimates indicate that some 700 million people in America are transported by bus each year. Whether they are traveling by school bus, public transit bus, charter bus, or a tour bus, these riders count on the driver to help them safely get them from one location to the next. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. Accidents do occur, and sometimes they result in serious injury or death for the passengers. If you or someone you love has been injured in a bus accident, you may be entitled to collect compensation for your injuries.

Common Causes of Bus Accidents

As with auto accidents, driver error is the most common cause of bus accidents. Other common causes include:

Driver fatigue;

Poor bus or equipment maintenance;

Driving while under the influence;

Inadequate training;

Improper screening of employees;

Improper loading; and

Overloading.

Of course, driver error does not always mean that it was the bus operator who made a mistake; it can also apply to other road users. For example, another road user may be intoxicated and swerve into the path of the bus. Alternatively, other drivers may cut the bus off, forcing the bus to either brake or swerve, either of which could potentially cause an accident. If an accident does happen to you or someone you love, it is crucial that an investigation is conducted to determine the exact causes behind the accident. In some cases, there may be multiple negligent parties, which could further complicate an already complex claim filing process.

Our world practically revolves around electricity. It lights our homes, powers our tablets and computers, and even runs the stoplights that help us travel safely from one place to the next. Unfortunately, this powerful tool is also extremely dangerous. Even minimal contact can lead to burn injuries. In severe cases, those injuries can cause death. There are some important things you should about electrical burns caused by defective products, including how to determine if you may be owed compensation.

Causes of Electrical Burns

Electrical burns can be caused in many ways, but those that are related to defective products typically occur at home or at work. A homemaker can turn on their dryer and experience an electrical burn. A worker in the manufacturing industry can go to use the same equipment they have used for years, only to have it malfunction and cause injury. In reality, the possibilities are endless, and they exist in your home, at your job, and in your everyday life.

Types of Electrical Burns

Electricals burns take one of two forms: direct contact burns and arc burns. Direct contact burns can include touching a surface that has been heated by electricity or something that has been ignited by electricity, or by coming into direct contact with electricity itself. Arc burns are caused when electricity travels, or arcs, through the air or in a gap between conductors. Both can result in serious and potentially fatal injuries.

According to federal estimates, about 1.7 million people suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year in the United States. This number only includes those who have been diagnosed as having a TBI by a qualified medical professional, so the real number is probably a bit higher. It is almost impossible to estimate with any accuracy the number of Americans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) because so few ever seek professional help. Some experts believe that about 8 percent of adults in the U.S. deal with PTSD—a percentage that equates to about 24 million people.

Those who suffer from PTSD are usually those who have suffered or witnessed a particularly traumatizing event, such as rape, assault, or combat. A recent study, however, seems to show that those who have suffered a traumatic brain injury are more likely to develop PTSD in the future. If a link actually exists, it could have an impact on accident cases involving head and brain trauma.

Looking at the Relationship

Scientists have long suspected the existence of a link between post-traumatic stress order and traumatic injuries. At one point, researchers looked at military veterans who had been physically close to some type of explosion during a combat deployment. Those who suffered a TBI during their service—not necessarily at the time of the explosion—were twice as likely to show symptoms of PTSD in the future compared to those who did not suffer a TBI. The researchers, however, could not give a reason why.

By this point, virtually everyone is aware of the dangers of texting while driving and that texting leads to thousands of car accidents every year, many of them causing serious injuries or deaths. For some reason—and probably for a number of reasons—Americans seem to have trouble putting their phones down and focusing on the road in front of them. It may be easy to convince yourself that sending a quick text message is no more dangerous than adjusting the radio or thinking about a work project. A recent study, however, suggests a driver’s brain is inclined to protect a distracted driver in many cases, but not when the distraction is created by texting.

Small-Scale Study

The study was conducted by a research team from the University of Houston and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, and was partially funded by program established in the wake of a class-action settlement involving Toyota. The researchers looked at the effects of various types of distractions on 59 volunteers as they navigated a stretch of highway on a high-tech driving simulator.

It is notoriously difficult to pursue a civil case against a government entity at any level. The concept of “sovereign immunity” dates back many centuries, and the idea has been codified in several Illinois statutes. In short, lawsuits against the government are handled under a different set of rules than lawsuits against private individuals, companies, or other entities. Sometimes, unfortunately, the principle is applied too liberally, and injured victims are denied their chance to seek justice. Earlier this month, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that a woman whose case was dismissed in 2013 should have the opportunity to be heard and to seek compensation.

A Brief Recap

In 2012, the city of Danville, IL repaired many portions of the sidewalk in its downtown area. Later that year, a Danville woman tripped on an unrepaired slab of sidewalk, fracturing her shoulder and suffering other injuries. About a year later, the woman filed a lawsuit in Vermilion County Circuit Court against the city of Danville seeking damages for the city’s alleged negligence. Her complaint claimed that Danville had breached its duty to maintain sidewalks in a reasonably safe condition.

The moments after a car accident are unlike anything else. Those who have been struck by another vehicle may be completely overwhelmed and unsure of how to react. It is vital that certain tasks be completed after a car accident in order to help prevent worsened injuries as well as increase the likelihood of receiving financial compensation for the accident.

Always Get Injuries Checked Out By a Medical Professional

Many people who have been injured in car accidents are quick to dismiss their own injuries. They may not want to spend the time and energy getting evaluated by a doctor or may worry about medical bills and ambulance fees. However, it is always a good idea to seek medical attention when you are hurt in an accident. Even injuries that seem minor at the time can quickly become serious medical concerns when left untreated. The hormone adrenaline often called the “fight or flight” hormone, has significant pain-masking properties. When something traumatic like a car accident occurs, the adrenaline released into the victim’s bloodstream can trick them into believing they are much less injured than they actually are. Having a record of injuries becomes invaluable if the injured person seeks financial compensation through a personal injury suit in the future.

Understanding the concepts of negligence and duty of care is vital to a successful personal injury claim. However, there is a bit of confusion in the general public about what exactly negligence means and how you can prove that someone else’s negligence caused your injuries. In the context of the law, negligence refers to an act of carelessness or careless inaction which causes someone damages. Damages can include things like medical bills for injuries, lost wages at work, and pain and suffering. Negligence occurs when a person had a duty of care to act responsibly but did not do so.

Breach of a Duty of Care

You may have seen the term “duty of care” in other information about personal injury lawsuits but been unsure of when someone has a duty of care to others and when they do not. Duty of care can be loosely defined as a requirement that an individual behave toward others with the attention, responsiveness, caution, and forethought that a “reasonable” person in the same circumstances would use. The word “reasonable” in this context means a person with average intelligence, insight, and decision-making skills. The first step in any personal injury claim is identifying the duty of care the negligent person had to the injured person—also called the plaintiff—and how that duty was breached or broken.

For many Chicago bicycling enthusiasts, summer is the best time of the year. Riding a bicycle instead of taking a car is one of the healthiest activities a person can do- and it can also be a lot of fun. Unfortunately, riding a bicycle also comes with certain risks. Even the most proficient bicyclist cannot prevent accidents caused by other people. If you have been hurt in an accident while riding a bike, read on to learn what your rights and options are for pursuing compensation.

Bicycle Accidents Responsible for Thousands of Injuries Each Year

It is estimated that 45,000 injuries were caused by accidents involving a bicycle in the United States in 2015. During the same year, 818 individuals were killed in these accidents. A bike offers significantly less protection against motor vehicles than even a motorcycle does. Many people do not wear a helmet or other safety gear while riding a bike, making this particular mode of transportation even riskier. Data shows that while uneven terrain or random falls contribute to many fatal bicycle accidents, the main way individuals are seriously injured or killed while riding a bike is by being struck by a car.

Most of us do not consider the risk we take every time we drive or ride in an automobile. Cars, trucks, and other motor vehicles are such an ordinary part of our lives that we forget just how powerful these machines are. The average car now weighs about 4000 lbs. and can reach or even surpass speeds of 100 mph. Even more impressive than motor vehicles’ size and power is their complexity. Estimates place the average number of constituent parts in a car at around 30,000. Each of these parts must work correctly in order for the vehicle to operate the way it is intended to work. When even just one part of a motor vehicle has a design or manufacturing defect, it can turn a safe vehicle into a ticking time bomb.

Class-Action Lawsuit Brought Filed Regarding Nissan Sentra

A class-action lawsuit persists against Nissan even after the company attempted to have the claims dismissed. According to the lawsuit’s plaintiffs, the continuously variable transmissions installed in Nissan Sentras are not working the way they should. Drivers have claimed that the vehicle experiences sudden and sometimes violent jerking or shaking when the accelerator is depressed. This motion, sometimes called shuddering or juddering, is unnerving to those driving the vehicles, to say the least. The plaintiffs also allege that the vehicles hesitate when drivers attempt to speed up. Some Nissan Sentra owners have even experienced vehicle stalling which could contribute to serious car accidents.

A hit-and-run car accident can be dramatically more challenging to deal with than a regular car accident. When a person is injured in an auto accident and does not have the cooperation of the person who hit them, the injured victim will often have to work much harder to recover compensation for the damages caused. If you have been hurt due to someone else’s negligence during a hit-and-run accident, read on to learn your options for receiving compensation.

Finding Out Who is Responsible for the Accident

Ideally, someone who is involved in a hit-and-run accident will have an opportunity to gather information about the driver responsible for the crash. Making note of the make, model, or color of the vehicle that hit you can help law enforcement find and prosecute the negligent driver. Even a partial license plate number can be beneficial to police as they search for the person who hit you. However, it is very important that you do not attempt to chase or otherwise pursue the other driver in a hit-and-run. Doing so can cause you to be further injured or criminally responsible.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 140 million visits to the emergency room occur in the United States every year. These numbers equate to almost 400,000 ER visits on an average day. When a person visits the emergency room, it is usually because he or she is dealing with a relatively serious health problem. The issue is at least serious enough that it could not wait for a family doctor to be available. While there are people who go to the ER for more minor concerns, the vast majority are experiencing a true medical emergency. The severity of the cases coming in the door means that emergency room staff place significant emphasis on treating patients quickly. Going too fast, however, can result in mistakes, and sometimes, those mistakes may be considered malpractice.

High-Pressure Situations

Understaffing is a serious problem in many emergency departments. This means that ER doctors, nurses, and support staff are frequently required to work long hours. To make things worse, they are often underpaid and underappreciated as well. Many ER physicians will see several dozen patients in just one shift, trying to diagnose every one quickly so that they can start treatment and move on to the next patient.

Traffic accidents that cause injury often involve several vehicles. There may be only one driver who caused the accident, or the actions of multiple drivers could contribute to a crash. In fact, in some cases, several drivers may be found to have partial liability, and in other cases, only one or two drivers will be considered at fault. If you have been in a car accident involving several other vehicles, you may be wondering how can you determine who was at fault for the crash and whether you can still collect compensation for your injuries.

Understanding Comparative Negligence

In the past, accident cases involving unclear liability were subject to a different policy called contributory negligence. Under this doctrine, if the person bringing a personal injury lawsuit, called the plaintiff, was found to be even partially at fault, he or she could not recover any compensation for his or her injuries resulting from the accident. Fortunately, in 1986, the Illinois Supreme Court abolished the contributory negligence rules in favor of the more reasonable doctrine of modified comparative negligence. Under comparative negligence, also called comparative fault, a plaintiff can still recover compensation for damages caused by an accident even if he or she was partially at fault.

The weather is getting warmer in Illinois, and because of this, more and more people are spending time outside. Whether it is though jogging, walking your dog, sightseeing, or simply walking for exercise, it can be fun and rewarding to walk the streets of the greater Chicago area. However, with the increased frequency of pedestrians, there is also an increase in car-pedestrian accidents. Data shows that pedestrian fatalities in Chicago have been rising for the last five years and sadly, 46 pedestrians lost their lives in accidents during 2017. If you have been injured by a motor vehicle as a pedestrian, there are certain steps you must take to protect yourself financially, medically, and legally.

Get to Safety and Call the Police

Pedestrians can be struck by vehicles for a myriad of reasons. Sometimes the driver is distracted or not looking where he or she is going while other times the driver is impaired by alcohol. Even good drivers can make a mistake which causes a pedestrian to get hurt. If you have been struck by a vehicle, first try to get out of the way of traffic. Secondly, call the police. Ideally, the person who struck you will stay with you and wait until the police arrive.